What’s your reaction to Jonah Bloom’s comment that it's the journalists who have the most difficult time in today's digital world, more so than advertising and PR practitioners…
We want to know, as companies, politicians and citizens take control of their own media relations online, is the idea of the journalist as an objective reporter of "the truth" obsolete?
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3 comments:
Absolutely not, and I don't think the traditional role of the professional journalist will ever be obsolete. Bloggers, "citizen journalists", etc. are not in a position to dig for the stories that keep (as far as it goes) government and other institutions honest.
Professional journalists clearly have the upper hand in certain areas, such as getting news to the public about a new FDA approval, but they do not hold as much power and influence as they once did. Having to deal with consumer electronics, people rarely use a newspaper, or read consumer reports to get their information. Consumer studies show that 50% of the population feel better informed than technology retail staff and that is because of bloggers and "viral marketing", aka people who have first hand experience and not someone who has been paid to write an article. In the 21st century more and more people are getting their news feeds from the internet. Also, each year that passes sales for print media sources are taking a hit. Whether it be a vlog, or a blog a larger demographic is using alternate sources to get information. The 21st century is here and anybody can be a "journalist”, so yes I do believe that in the long run journalists are in trouble.
I think it depends on which blogs one reads.
The bloggers who hide behind anonymity and spread vitriol and snipe from dark corners will never have more legitimacy than 8th graders who scribble on bathroom walls.
But known names with respected track records, opinions and sources behind their writing may well put a dent in the ranks of journalists.
I think there was a number thrown out in the panel discussion about the Times going from 500 to 300 staff writers--( I may have that wrong, but something to that effect.)If I were a journalist, I'd be working in both mediums.
M
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